Yes, tenant screening companies can interview people who know you, such as neighbors, former employers or landlords.
Yes. Many stores do this to help identify patterns of return fraud and abuse. Read our article for more information.
With Visa and MasterCard, no. They both have rules that limit stores from requiring you to show your ID as a condition of purpose. These rules also make them accept your card even if you refuse to show your ID. However, you may still be required to show ID for other reasons related to the sale, such as for buying alcohol/tobacco, using a card flagged as lost/stolen, suspected fraud, etc.
If someone insists that you show your ID to use your credit card, you can show a copy of the Visa or MasterCard rules.
Ransomware is a type of malware that locks the you out of your computer or mobile device—demanding payment (often virtual currency like Bitcoin) to restore access (no guarantee you’ll regain access if you pay). While medical facilities, universities and government agencies are prime targets for these attacks, anyone can be a victim.
As phones (and other mobile devices) have become indispensable parts of our lives, it's increasingly important to reduce their privacy and security risks.
To help stop sales calls, you can sign up on the National Do Not Call Registry. Thirty-one days after that, you can file a complaint against telemarketers that continue to call.
Often nearly impossible to see, a skimmer is a small device placed in or over a card reader (ATM, gas pump, checkout) to record information from your credit or debit card's magnetic stripe. That information can then be used to make fraudulent purchases and sometimes even a clone of your card.
Others can get your personal information in many ways including
- data breaches
- discarded documents
- stolen wallets/purses
- stolen mail
- phishing
While you can't always prevent identity theft, you can reduce your risk.
Hardly a day goes by where data breaches and identity fraud don't make the headlines. In such a world, you may find yourself researching credit monitoring services.
Medical debt often results from unpredictable events, but you shouldn’t let them ruin your credit for years to come. Many Americans are impacted by medical debt—it makes up a large portion of reported debt on credit reports.
The credit bureaus have established a 180-day waiting period before medical debt gets added to your credit reports—meaning you will have about six months to make payments or work something out with your insurance company. If a medical bill is paid late by your insurance company, the credit bureau must also remove it from your credit report.